Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) – Ninety-eighth biweekly implementation report (OCHA)

Report No. 98

Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access

and Update on Gaza Crossings

(05 – 18 Aug 2009)

The United Nations is submitting the 98th bi-weekly report on the implementation of the 15 November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA)¹, covering the period  05 – 18 Aug Sep 09 (Annex)². In light of the closure of Gaza, this report also monitors movement and access through other crossings not included in the AMA.

Summary:

AMA Benchmarks:

• Rafah crossing has remained closed for the movement of people for 801 working days. It was last open for public use on 09 June 2007. However, the crossing was partially open on an exceptional basis for passengers on all days during the reporting period, the same as in the previous reporting period, allowing 5,035 authorized Palestinians, including many medical cases, to cross out, and 870 to cross in, compared to 2,020 departures and 3,646 arrivals in the previous reporting period.

•  Karni crossing has remained closed since 12 June 2007 for the movement of goods in and out of Gaza.  The conveyor belt/chute for cereals and animal feed was open on four days (05, 10, 12 and 17 Aug), the same as during the previous reporting period. A total of 312 truckloads of cereals and animal feed, entered Gaza via the conveyor belt, compared to 285 in the previous reporting period. Neither gravel nor bulk cement were allowed entry during this period. Gravel and bulk cement were last allowed into Gaza on 26 and 29 Oct 08 respectively.

•  Erez crossing has remained closed for more than three years since 12 March 2006 for workers, and more than two years, since 12 June 2007, for all other Palestinians, except for a limited number of Palestinian senior traders, aid workers and medical cases who have been granted special permits. For these persons, Erez crossing was partially open on 12 days. No traders were allowed out during the reporting period and an average of 19 medical cases per day were allowed to cross out compared to an average of 17 reported during the previous reporting period.

•  Obstacles to movement in the West Bank has increased from 614 during the previous reporting to 618. Overall the figure of 618 represents an increase of 242 obstacles (64.4%) over the baseline figure (376) of August 2005.

•  Convoys between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank:

•  Ports:

Non-AMA Crossings:

• Sufa crossing was not open during the reporting period. It was last open on 12 Sept 08. In mid March 09, Israel announced that Sufa crossing is no longer a crossing point between Gaza and Israel.

• Kerem Shalom crossing was partially open on 10 days, the same as during the previous reporting period. A total of 787 truckloads of goods including 96 for humanitarian aid agencies were allowed in compared to 598 during the previous reporting period.

• Nahal Oz fuel pipelines were partially open on 07 out of the 10 scheduled days, compared to 08 days during the previous reporting period. A total of 45,000 liters of petrol were allowed entry for the use of the Ministry of health. No diesel was imported during this reporting period. In addition, 1,769 tonnes of cooking gas and 4,640,050 liters of industrial gas for the power plant were allowed in, compared to 1,960 tonnes and 4,076,710 liters respectively in the previous reporting period.

•  Of note: Overall, 1,099 truckloads, including 96 truckloads from humanitarian agencies were allowed entry to Gaza during this period, compared to 874 truckloads allowed in during the previous reporting period.

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1 The United Nations, through the OCHA oPt office, has assumed reporting responsibilities for reporting on the implementation of the AMA since April 2006.

2 The AMA was negotiated by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote peaceful economic development and improve the humanitarian situation on the ground. It represents the commitments of both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to facilitate access and movement into/out and throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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